Project Gutenberg 2000-02-01 Public domain in the USA. 129 Beckford, William 1760 1844 Marlow, Harriet, Lady Jenks, Jacquetta Agneta Mariana Beckford, John Morley, Henry 1822 1894 The History of Caliph Vathek Translation of Vathek Transcribed from the 1887 Cassell & Company edition by David Price "The History of the Caliph Vathek" by William Beckford is a novel written in the late 18th century that draws on themes from Arabian folklore infused with a rich, fantastical style reminiscent of horror and humor. The narrative follows the extravagant and sensual life of Vathek, the ninth Caliph of the Abassides, whose desires lead him to seek forbidden knowledge and power, warranting both fascination and dread as he encounters various supernatural elements. The opening of the story introduces Vathek as a powerful yet indulgent ruler, obsessed with satisfying his senses through opulent palaces dedicated to pleasure, music, and beauty. Despite his grandeur, he is plagued by a thirst for knowledge that lures him down a dangerous path. The narrative begins to unfold when the Caliph encounters a strange and hideous traveler in his palace, a meeting that swiftly escalates into a gripping tale of desire and consequences, as Vathek's curiosity incites a chain of events that draws the reader into a world of enchantment and foreboding. The stage is set for his moral downfall as he seeks to unlock the secrets of the universe, highlighting the interplay between excess and consequence that defines his character and the story itself. (This is an automatically generated summary.) en English fiction Gothic fiction Arab countries -- Fiction PR Text Fantasy Gothic Fiction Browsing: Literature Browsing: Fiction 253002 252905 2024-09-01T11:56:47.923436 2023-10-01T10:49:01.100150 text/html text/html 253681 2012-01-08T21:40:24 text/html 131406 2012-01-08T21:40:42 text/html application/zip 187881 2024-09-01T11:56:52.742390 application/epub+zip 190644 2024-09-01T11:56:49.416428 application/epub+zip 153642 2024-09-01T11:56:48.544433 application/epub+zip 317142 2024-09-01T11:56:55.351443 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 304046 2024-09-01T11:56:52.149425 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 268233 2022-09-01T13:32:01.055881 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 241805 241756 2024-09-01T11:56:47.475444 2023-10-01T10:49:00.699132 text/plain; charset=us-ascii text/plain 242959 2012-01-08T21:39:48 text/plain; charset=utf-8 93455 2012-01-08T21:40:42 text/plain; charset=utf-8 application/zip 241590 2012-01-08T21:39:14 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 93240 2012-01-08T21:40:42 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 21669 2024-09-01T11:56:55.503461 application/rdf+xml 13417 2024-09-01T11:56:48.900421 image/jpeg 3230 2024-09-01T11:56:48.725416 image/jpeg 187789 2024-09-01T11:56:47.951416 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia en.wikipedia